


arabica

by loveis4hwalls



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Christmas, M/M, barista!wonho, college student!kihyun, mx bingo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 06:56:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17576060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveis4hwalls/pseuds/loveis4hwalls
Summary: Hoseok spills coffee on a client's thesis and his boss forces him to keep the shop open at night to let the student work there. His disturbed sleep pattern is nothing compared to Kihyun's pleasant company (and face).





	arabica

**Author's Note:**

> finally, the last fic for the bingo,,, and this one is chaptered, so i guess it'll take me some time to update rip. i hope you enjoy tho!!

Working as a barista wasn’t Hoseok’s dream, it had never been. It was a bit of a last resort. Having just been fired from his previous job for budgetary issues, it was a miracle his friend, Hyunwoo, agreed to employ him in the coffee shop he owned. It wasn’t too difficult, he liked talking to clients and the smell of coffee even more. The only issue was that it didn’t pay very well, but at least it payed. He couldn’t really complain.

But on Fridays like this, where a bunch of students came to do some extra work and the shop was full, Hoseok wished he wasn’t working here. He already had a hard time remembering which table had which number, so having to juggle between several orders at the same time was extremely difficult. On top of that, people always wanted to customize their drinks. Soy milk, no whipped cream, don’t put whole milk in that - how about you come do it yourself? Of course, Hoseok never said that to a client. He understood it was normal to want special stuff, especially if you have allergies. But not on a Friday.

He swayed through the tables, a plate on his hand. Those things weighed a lot, and even with a regular work out routine like he had, his biceps felt weak. One drink or two on it is fine, but when you’re serving a table of ten, the plate just becomes a dangerous hazard. Okay, table number seven...He had to review the floor plan in his mind. Just by the window. He passed by table eight, where an usual customer was sitting, laptop open, slouched over his notebook.

That guy was here a lot. Everyday, actually. He seemed to be a regular college student, always working himself to exhaustion, his glasses covering the dark circles under his eyes, or at least attempting to. Hoseok hadn’t gone to university. Didn’t have the opportunity. Probably not the smarts either, according to his old high school teachers. But it’s not really about intelligence, is it? Sometimes you just have to get money early on in your life.

An elbow bumped into his shoulder, and he felt himself propelled forward, his feet slipping on the tiled floor. The plate left his hand and with it the drinks, but he couldn’t see where they landed before he crashed on the floor, his palms the only thing separating his poor face from the ground. Hoseok took a moment to breathe. Damn it, that was close. He could’ve crushed his nose there. His pretty nose. Wouldn’t have liked that.

It was an enraged shriek that pulled him out of his thoughts. He jumped up, rubbed his apron, and contemplated the mess. Table number eight was the lucky winner (not). The student was standing, face buried in his hands, and his notebook was drenched with coffee and other kinds of drinks. Hey, the laptop was intact. That’s pretty good. He approached the client with an hesitant smile.

“Hey, I’m sorry, I’ll-”

“You ruined it!” he shouted, his voice slightly muffled in his palms. The guy let his hands slide down his face almost dreadfully, eyes piercing as if he was going to strangle him with bare hands. “That was the first draft of my thesis! It was almost done...”

Oh. Oops. Now that’s a little embarrassing. Hoseok shifted glances between the man and the notebook, scratching the back of his neck. It wasn’t the first time he had spilled something. But usually it was on dresses or pants, not very important theses. Not sure the phrases Hyunwoo had taught him for these incidents would work. And the spare clothes wouldn’t help much, would they? He still had to do some damage control though, if he didn’t want to get scolded - or worse fired.

“I’m really sorry, I think I bumped into a customer and-”

Once again, he couldn’t finish his sentence. “You’re gonna have to pay back for that. I spent so much time, I...” He grabbed his head in his hands, a heavy sigh escaping his lips.

Damn, he wasn’t getting out of it, was he? That was real trouble.

“Um, don’t you have a save on your computer?” he dared, his index raised in the air.

The customer massaged his temples as if to refrain himself from jumping at his throat to kill him. His eyes were rolling in all directions, and Hoseok could feel his own heart beating in his palm.

“I don’t. I get the info from my computer, write the draft on my notebook - the one you ruined. My whole first draft!” He poked his tongue into his cheek and inhaled a deep breath, his knuckles white with tension. “I don’t have wifi in my college dorms... That’s why I come here everyday. And...And the deadline is so soon. I’m doomed. Two hours a day aren’t going to cut it. I swear to God, I’ll-”

“What’s going on over there?”

Every head in the coffee shop turned in the direction of the counter. Hyunwoo had just left the kitchen, most likely curious about the commotion. Hoseok gulped, the muscles of his arms twitching. Hyunwoo was overall an extremely nice guy; generous, soft-spoken, very thoughtful. But on the other hand, he was also ripped and could beat you up in half a second. Not that he would. But he could. And that was enough to send shivers down Hoseok’s spine who, despite his also muscular body, was unable to hurt a fly.

The customer confidently walked up to Hyunwoo, arms crossed over his chest. “Your employee spilled coffee all over my thesis! I want this fixed.” God, that guy was the epitome of the “I want to speak to your manager” type. Minus the hair cut.

He went on and on about how close his deadline was, how his dorms had no wifi, et caetera. At some point Hoseok must have tuned everything out because the only thing he could hear was the faint melody of a Wii sports resort song. His hands were trembling uncontrollably, and even holding onto his apron wouldn’t stop them from moving everywhere. Well, here it was. He was going to get fired, wouldn’t find another job, wouldn’t be able to pay his rent, and would end up homeless. Just for a stupid thesis. 

“I’m deeply sorry for the inconvenience,” Hyunwoo said, then turned his head to his employee. “If that’s alright with you, Hoseok will keep the shop open at night just for you so you can use our wifi and hopefully finish you first draft. Free coffee is included, of course.”

“What?!” Hoseok exclaimed, startling the other clients around. No way, he didn't sign for this. Sure, he made a mistake, but that was a bit too much of a punishment, right?

His boss gave him a forced smile, but his eyes stayed alert and slightly threatening. “Yes, I’m sure Hoseok would be very happy to stay with you during those nights.”

Heck. No choice. When Hyunwoo makes that face, you know it means you better do what he says or he’ll kill you. Reluctant, Hoseok nodded slowly, observing a smile form on the customer’s face. He shoved his hand right in his face, apparently asking for a handshake. Goddamnit, why would he even want to shake hands? But Hyunwoo still had his serious face on, so Hoseok raised his hand and quickly shook the client’s.

“My name is Kihyun. I’ll be coming here the next few nights.”


End file.
